Official: Reaction Right In Jail Death

January 9, 1986|By Rick Pierce, Staff Writer

Broward County detention deputies committed no ``clear-cut`` violations of state rules when an asthmatic died at the main jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale last September, a Florida Department of Corrections official said Wednesday.

But prison inspector Ed Sobach, who investigated the death, said two deputies could have violated state guidelines when they failed to take action after finding Kathryn Entress sprawled on the floor of her cell.

Sobach said it was a ``moot point`` since both guards, Velvet Harris and Cheryl McKenzie, were later fired by Sheriff Nick Navarro.

``I was satisfied that the situation was reported accurately, and that the action taken by the sheriff was appropriate,`` said Sobach, who was looking for violations of the code that governs the operation of city and county jails.

Navarro said Sobach`s report vindicated his operation of the jail.

``This corroborates what I`ve been saying for the last couple of months,`` Navarro said.

Entress, 37, of Miramar, was accused of stealing water from the city for bypassing the water meter to her mobile home. Water had been turned off at the former mail carrier`s home after she failed to pay a $243.69 bill.

She failed to appear in court on a petty theft charge and was booked into the jail on Sept. 27 when she was unable to post a $250 bond.

Sheriff`s officials took away her non-prescription asthma inhaler when Entress was booked into the jail. A medical examiner later criticized that decision, arguing that the woman should have been able to control her condition with the inhaler.

Navarro defended the decision.

``I feel there are certain safeguards we have to maintain,`` he said. ``I can`t lower those safeguards because it would create some situations that are more dangerous.``

Sobach said he deliberately avoided getting involved in the medical decision to take away the inhaler.

``I`m not a physician,`` he said. ``I`m not trying to second-guess a decision anyone made at the time.``

Sobach said Entress, as required, received a medical screening the day she was admitted. An evaluation was conducted by a nurse later that day, and a medication schedule to treat the woman`s asthmatic condition was set up, Sobach noted.

State law requires that a prisoner have a more in-depth health appraisal conducted within a week of admission.

Sobach pointed out that the woman, who was admitted on Sept. 27 and died on Sept. 29, hadn`t been in the jail a week. In fact, she was slated to see a doctor the day she died, he said.

Navarro, whose internal affairs office also investigated Entress` death, fired the two deputies, saying they failed to ``meet the code of conduct.``

Harris wrote ``breakfast refused`` on a checklist next to Entress` name when the woman failed to respond that morning. Sheriff`s officials later said that Entress was already dead following the asthma attack, but Harris did not bother to check on the woman`s condition. After Entress` death was discovered, Harris used ``white out`` in an attempt to blot out the notation, sheriff`s investigators found.

The other deputy, McKenzie, had seen Entress on the floor the previous night and also failed to take any action, sheriff`s officials found.

A grand jury concluded last month there was no criminal negligence in the woman`s death. A more detailed report of its findings is expected soon.